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Yüli Skincare: the Review

Yüli Skincare is the ultimate cult brand. It seems to almost disdain publicity, it maintains a strictly unisex and minimalist (and terribly chic) aesthetic and it is raved about by beauty bloggers including, most recently, the Cool Girl beauty bible, Into the Gloss. More than cache and cult status, though, what sets Yüli apart is it’s commitment to marrying the best of nature and science to create effective, powerful and beautiful products. Yüli’s oils and elixirs (their name for facial sprays) are amongst the very few products that I repurchase over and over and I am a huge fan of the line.

Liquid Courage and Modern Alchemist.

I have already raved about Yüli’s Liquid Courage serum: it is my daily staple and its antioxidant-packed formula and fast absorbing, light texture make it the perfect daytime oil. In addition to protecting the skin from the elements, the ingredients in Liquid Courage provide long term anti-aging and illuminating benefits. This is the oil I reach for nearly every morning. It’s the perfect product for those seeking a healthy glow and it would be beneficial to the widest range of skins, from oily and troubled to dull and mature.

When the weather in New York turns cold and dry and my skin demands extra cosseting, I turn to Yüli’s Modern Alchemist. This serum is, simply, a dream for tired, dry or mature skin. Its ingredient list is beyond impressive, combining mild, natural retinols, hydrating oils and powerful extracts. Though Modern Alchemist is thicker, richer and a bit more active than Liquid Courage, it is also wonderfully gentle and unlikely to cause irritation even to sensitive skin. I also think that it can be used by most skin types except, possibly, the especially oily.

Modern Alchemist is sometimes described as having a rose smell, but I actually happen to disagree – and this is a good thing. Most rose-centered green beauty products tend to be too rose-forward, which could be a problem for someone like me with me sensitivity to smells (or to someone who is not a fan of rose); the scent of Modern Alchemist, on the other hand, is a lot more subtle and herbal. This is, in fact, one of the things I love about all of Yüli’s products: they smell, well, natural. All of the scents are quite earthy and herbal – they might not be the most traditionally pretty smells, but they are soft, comforting and grounding.

Cocoon and Metamorphic Elixirs

The Metamorphic Elixir is, hands down, one of my all-time favorite facial sprays. This was the product that changed my view of facial sprays from “pleasantly scented water to refresh tired skin” to “indispensable skincare product”. With its combination of glycerin and hyaluronate, this elixir is incredibly hydrating and it features extracts of carrot and rose that provide skin perfecting and anti-aging benefits. Yüli bills Metamorphic as their anti-aging elixir, but I honestly think that it would benefit almost any skin type. Now that we transition into colder and dryer winter months, it can provide that much needed extra hydration and layer perfectly under face oils and balms.

The Cocoon Elixir is my most recent Yüli discovery and it’s a winner! Created for extra-sensitive and irritation prone skins, Cocoon contains hydrolats of calming botanicals like calendula, lavender and chamomile, as well as MSM – one of my favorite ingredients for fighting inflammation and irritation. A few days ago I made the mistake of picking at my face right before going out and ended up with attractively bright-red skin. In case I haven’t made it clear before, I am prone to bouts of extreme stupidity. Anyway, I didn’t want to scare unsuspecting Brooklynites with my baboon bottom visage and, just before slathering myself with all of the foundation and concealer I own, I decided to spray my face with Cocoon. In about 5 minutes my face looked absolutely pristine. I should make it clear that ordinarily, my face poking adventures lead to lingering redness for at least a day. I have never come across this kind of inflammation-busting power in any product before and it only cemented Cocoon’s place as a permanent addition to my skincare routine.

I should note that both Cocoon and Metamorphic Elixirs contain colloidal silver. Although I am not 100% convinced that silver is a miracle skincare ingredient, I am inclined to trust its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Certainly the effects of the Yüli Elixirs seem to bear out the benefits of silver as an ingredient. Granted, it’s not endorsed by the FDA, but then again, so aren’t a host of other things I use to improve my health and/or my skin. I certainly don’t think it’s harmful, as long as you don’t ingest it – ain’t nobody got time for turning blue. That said, some people have concerns about the use of silver in skincare and I figured I ought to at least mention its presence in the Elixirs.

Cellular Lip Conditioner

The Cellular Lip Conditioner, Yüli’s lip care offering, might be the only product of its kind: it’s an oil specifically formulated to treat and hydrate the lips. The perfectly portable, slim glass bottle with a metal roller ball is my airplane staple: it’s wonderfully hydrating and nourishing and it helps keep my lips from drying out in parched airplane air. The soothing formula filled with nourishing oils feels wonderful going on and absorbs quickly, hydrating and softening even the driest of lips. I like to use the Lip Conditioner indoors because I like the protection waxier and/or stickier balms provide against the elements, but there is no reason why it wouldn’t work outdoors. I also find it works fabulously as a hydrating layer under lipstick.

Yüli was one of the first green beauty brands I have every tried and it proved an enduring love affair. Being a fan of Yüli can sometimes feel like being a member of a secret club, but I’m pretty sure that its beautiful products with their clever, effective formulas that do wonders for the skin will prevent this brand from remaining a well-kept secret for very much longer.

11 responses to Yüli Skincare: the Review

YULI feels different from other green beauty brands I’ve used and that is pretty cool. I don’t think they all need to do imprints of each other. But more than anything I have noticed their products are ones I keep coming back to even after getting swept in the love for other products. It is a shame they are so press averse because I think there are many readers who follow blogs and who will not know how amazing this line is!

I agree: Yuli does feel different. I think for me it might be the smell: I like that they do not over-rely on EOs. And I am not sure whether the brand is press averse, really. I think they are conscious about maintaining their cult status and building up good will 😉

LOL! Sorry! 😉 Sadly, the cleanser is the sole Yuli product that didn’t work for me 😦 I think it’s an issue with a enzymatic cleansers in general because I’ve had trouble with similar cleansers from other brands, but in still bummed! The Cocoon is the bomb though!

The Cocoon is so totally worth trying! But I do want to mention that when I talk about “picking”, I mean extraction (i.e. getting rid of blackheads), rather than pimple popping 🙂 Not sure even Cocoon could handle that kind of redness, though I think it still would be a great bet, seeing as it’s anti-inflammatory and the colloidal silver has antibacterial properties. X

I just started the Yuli products. I bought Liquid Courage about 2 months ago and I’m starting to think I got a bad batch. Mine smells very strongly of garlic and that is actually all I’ve tasted for the last 2 months. Is this normal? Otherwise, I love the ingredients and its efficacy.

I really want to try Pure. I loved Panacea when I was using it (didn’t review because I haven’t used it for a while). Sadly, Halcyon didn’t work for me 😦 My skin just doesn’t get on with enzyme cleansers. X

Yuli is one of the last green brands I tried strangely! I feel like I was late to the game but they’re not mentioned on the regular spots. Their stuff is amazing! So many have become favorites like Halcyon is my favorite cleanser ever and Skin Fuel is my absolute favorite face oil. Look forward to try more of the line!